Hey y’all!

March is named after the Roman god of war, Mars. In most myths, Mars is known for being quite brutish and hot headed. Now, traveling a little further east. In Ancient Chinese medicine, spring is the time of the wood element, which is associated with being highly motivated, ambitious, and sometimes forceful.

Personally, I don’t think this connection is a coincidence. The weather is getting warmer. The days are getting longer. It’s not unreasonable to get riled up in the action. While this newfound energy is exhilarating, let’s be cautious not to get too drawn into the heat of the moment. Instead, try to channel this energy into meaningful projects and present awareness.

Now that we’re a bit more centered, let’s take a looksie at this week’s digital marketing:

• Where do website traffic referrals really come from? Datos & SparkToro research concluded that 63% of US web traffic referrals came from Google. The next two runner ups are from Microsoft/Bing and YouTube. *cough cough* Another reason why SEO is not dead. Shoutout to Jessica Perry for this interesting piece!

• Is your website content “helpful”? If not, you’re likely to experience dramatic reductions in organic search traffic. Elizabeth Tucker, Google’s Director of Product, Search, stated the latest Google Core Update will “reduce low-quality, unoriginal content in search results by 40%”. We have always emphasized the need for quality, relevant, and helpful content, so we don’t expect our clients to see declines due to the update.

Do Good Spotlight
🌟 Action Against Hunger 🌟

For 40+ years, Action Against Hunger has taken decisive action against the causes and effects of hunger. They’re a top-rated charity on Charity Navigator and Charity Watch as well as a recipient of 2023 Platinum Transparency Candid Seal. Learn more about what they do: Action Against Hunger.

Thanks, Domenick D’Agostino, for sharing this organization!

• As the US Congress decides whether or not to ban/sell TikTok, we thought you might be interested in TikTok usage data. See the share of US TikTok users who have posted a video broken down by Age, Sex, Political Affiliation, and Education. Plus, read some interesting analysis from MarketingCharts including the observation that over half of TikTok users have never posted a video.😲

• 59% of people think there is too much brand advertising on social media. Yet, 61% of consumers agreed they discovered brands/products/services they’re interested in from paid/sponsored social posts. Confusing, right? It’s all about strategy. If selling is a brand’s only strategy on social media, the brand has already lost. The audience has to be the focus. No audience – no business. Check out Hootsuite’s report.

• Paging B2B sales leaders. 📟 McKinsey has 3 game-changing case studies highlighting different approaches to increasing sales productivity. AI is not directly mentioned but it could be used to leverage sales technology and automation. The other two areas for improvements include re-focusing on inside sales and driving personalization with data analytics.

• ESG is growing in importance to consumers and, ultimately, brand marketers. Sustainable marketing reduces social and environmental impacts and creates lasting positive change. This ClickZ article also highlights two noteworthy successful sustainable marketing campaigns from Patagonia and The Body Shop.

Happy Spring! 🌹🪻🌷

Natalie

Is the day already off to an off-kiltering start?

Hey, that’s okay. Here’s a time lapse video of flowers blooming to remind you of the simpler things. 🌸

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